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“WINDWARD” CHOSEN FOR THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERIES 2018

My story, “Windward,” from the anthology Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea, has been selected to be in The Best American Mysteries of 2018 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), by editors Louise Penny and Otto Penzler. Which is really cool, and a huge surprise. Also in the book will be Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates, TC Boyle, Louis Bayard, Andrew Bourelle, Michael Bracken, James Lee Burke, John Floyd, David Edgerley Gates, Charlaine Harris, Rob Hart, David H. Hendrickson, Andrew Klavan, Martin Limon, Alan Orloff, William Dylan Powell, Scott Loving Sanders and Brian Silverman.

“Ghosts of Bunker Hill” Nominated for the Macavity Award

I’m thrilled to announce that my story “Ghosts of Bunker Hill,” from the December, 2016, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, has been nominated/short listed for a 2017 MACAVITY AWARD and was voted #1 in the ELLERY QUEEN READERS POLL Poll for 2016. The competition for the Macavity is really stiff. The other nominees in the short story category are: Lawrence Block, Craig Faustus Buck, Greg Herren, Joyce Carol Oates and Art Taylor. Wow! You can read “Ghosts of Bunker Hill” and other stories for free on my website at: https://pauldmarks.com/stories/

Coming Soon: “Day of the Dark”

Coming July 21st from Wildside Press, edited by Kaye George. Includes my story “Blood Moon.” Stories that take place during the eclipse and just in time for the real eclipse August 21, 2017. 24 stories in all, I believe.

Good News!

I’m thrilled to announce that my short story, “Ghosts of Bunker Hill,” was voted #1 in the 2016 Ellery Queen Readers Poll. In fact, I’m blown away. I want to thank everyone who voted for it! And I’m tempted to give Sally Field a run for her money and say, “You like me, you really like me,” or at least my story 😉 . If you’d like to read it (and maybe consider it for other awards) you can read it FREE by clicking here.

New Release

Hardboiled. Softboiled. Noir. East Coast. West Coast. And all points in between.
Whatever you call them, gumshoe, shamus, Pinkerton, detective, private eye, P.I., private dick, shadow, tail, investigator, and wherever you need them, from East to West, North to South. They’re all here.

From the hard pavement of Brooklyn, New York, to the mean, dusty streets of Carson City. Down to sultry New Orleans and the freak show that’s Venice, CA. From the flim-flammers of Waco, Texas to DC; Las Vegas to San Berdoo and L.A. And from Iowa City to San Diego and small town North Carolina—not to mention the low-life drug dealers in a little place called King’s Quarter, Maine. No one is safe in this impressive collection featuring fifteen original private eye stories. Crime fiction connoisseurs will visit one major crime scene after another with some of today’s best-of-the-best crime writers serving as tour guides. Poisoned-pen masters like:
Joe Abramo, Eric Beetner, Michael Bracken, Meredith Cole, Matt Coyle, Tom Donahue, John Floyd, Gay Kinman, Terrill Lee Lankford, Janice Law, Paul D. Marks, Andrew McAleer, O’Neil De Noux, Robert J. Randisi, Art Taylor.

Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea features suspense stories ranging from hardboiled to psychological to thrillers. And while these stories differ in locale, climate, mood and tone, they all resonate with the dark underbelly of crime.

PRAISE FOR COAST TO COAST – PRIVATE EYES FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
“Tough, taut and terrific. This cross-country collection of sleuthing stories—from the best writers in the private eye biz—is wonderfully written, always surprising, and completely entertaining.”

New Release

My story Deserted Cities of the Heart appears in Akashic’s St. Louis Noir just released August 2, 2016. Hope you’ll check it out. I’m honored to be among such a great group of writers. Edited by Scott Phillips.

“…[I]t’s no surprise that the most notable tales are the work of three genre veterans…” including “…‘Deserted Cities of the Heart,’ by Paul D. Marks (‘White Heat’), [which] charts the fall of loner Daniel Hayden after he meets femme fatale Amber Loy at the Gateway Arch.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Among my favorite stories in St. Louis Noir is one called ‘Deserted Cities of the Heart’ (by Paul D. Marks) in which a loner of an IT nerd with a security clearance is convinced to hack into a witness protection data base with disastrous results by the attractive young out-of-towner who suddenly comes into his life. …The bottom line: St. Louis Noir is another worthy addition to what is perhaps already the best series of short story collections to be published in decades.”
—Sam Sattler, Book Chase

“Joining Seattle, Memphis, Phoenix, and other noir outposts, St. Louis gets a turn to show its dark side in Phillips’ collection of 13 dark tales and a poetic interlude…[A] spirited, black-hearted collection.”
—Kirkus Reviews

New Release

Available Now

Praise for VORTEX:

…a nonstop staccato action noir… Vortex lives up to its name, quickly creating a maelstrom of action and purpose to draw readers into a whirlpool of intrigue and mystery… but be forewarned: once picked up, it’s nearly impossible to put down before the end.

— D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Noir, Thy Name is Paul D. Marks.

Marks is an authority on all things noir and L.A., and he knows how to give this contemporary tale the kick of a double shot of whiskey straight up. Chandler and Cain have found their heir.

This fast pace book keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire ride. There are a lot of twist and turns; you’ll become obsessed with who has “the stash” and if Zach is going to live long enough to find the answer.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good mystery. I look forward to reading the authors other books.

—Cathy Carey, UnderratedReads.com

Paul’s short story Howling at the Moon is nominated for both an Anthony Award and a Macavity Award for Best Short Story. Click here to read a free copy.

Awards

Shamus Award

"Windward" chosen for The Best American Mysteries 2018

# 1 in 2016 Ellery Queen Reader's Award Poll

"Ghosts of Bunker Hill" Nominated/Short-listed for the 2017 Macavity Award